A Father's Love
by ShadowQueen25
Summary: Before he murdered his friends and befriended his enemies, before he slaughtered millions, long before he trapped in eternal servitude.... A little girl knew him as daddy... And Squeen lost her mind and decided to write this... LOL!
1. Chapter 1

A Father's Love

He thought he was going to die. His heart was going to explode. His wife was in the emergency room, having their first child. Was it going to be a boy? A girl? Was it going to make it? What if Isabelle didn't make it?

"She'll be alright, Andrew. If I know her, she'll come out of there smiling" Cardinal, who sat next to her reassured. She was married to the leader of the Storm Hawks and part the squadron herself.

"I'm sure she'll be fine…" Nathan, her husband, muttered. He was pale, knowing his twin sister was in there.

"Having a baby isn't easy, but hey, she'll be okay!" Cardinal reassured. It scared her that Nathan wasn't joking around or trying to make them laugh. Little Aerrow sat in Cardinal's lap, snoozing silently, his red hair sticking up all over the place. Andrew felt envious of him. So young, not a care in the world…

"Mr. Shamara?" A doctor asked. Andrew nearly shot out of the chair.

"Congratulations on your…?" Andrew was practically sprinting towards the emergency room. The doctor looked quizzically at Cardinal and Nathan.

"First child" They said in unison.

"Oh"

X

"Isabelle?" Andrew asked tentatively. Isabelle smiled, her long brown hair messy and sweaty. She held a bundle in her small hands.

"Isn't she beautiful?" She asked, her green eyes twinkling. Andrew smiled weakly. She was okay.

"Yes. She's beautiful" He agreed, watching his young child sleep softly. She had black fuzz on her head that indicated black hair in the future. Her face was round and perfect.

"What are we going to name her?" Isabelle asked. Andrew smiled.

"Arabella"

"That's a pretty name…" Isabelle muttered, her voice slurred and tired.

"Would you like some rest?" Andrew asked.

"Mmm Hmm…"

Arabella's eyes blinked open, looking at the world. Andrew thought he was going to cry. She was looking right at him…

Ccccccccccccccccccccc

Aww! :3 This is kind of like a series of drabbles. It basically depicts Shadow's life until she meets the Storm hawks. I mean, in terms of years. Like, one day when she was two, one when she was three, etc…

Oh, I kinda stole the names from MissDedodakes's one shot. Well, except Shamara, I had that name LONG before she did.

Anyway, hope ya'll like it!


	2. Chapter 2

Best Friend

"Tigger! Tigger! Come out and play!" Arabella called.

"I'll be right out!" Tigger called, picking up her story. It was _The Tell Tale Heart _by Edgar Allen Poe (keep in mind she's only 4, and she's reading POE.)

"Ooh, what's this?" Arabella asked.

"It's a _story._ Look, pictures!" Tigger pointed to the scene of the man killing the old man.

"GAH!" Arabella threw the book in to a nearby bush.

"Be careful, it's a library book!" Tigger picked it up.

"Mommy wanted to go to the carnival and she hoped you would be able to come" Arabella asked, scooting away from as if it was diseased or something (lol).

"Sure!!! Let me get Linda!" Tigger said, running back into her house.

Linda Doll and Mr. Buttons the Bear were Tigger's and Arabella's stuffed toys that they got for Christmas when they were three. Linda Doll was a classic Raggedy Ann except she had longer hair, brown button eyes and a turquoise dress. Mr. Buttons, on the other hand, fit the term raggedy perfectly. One of his eyes had popped loose and dangled off his face dangerously, he only had one arm and one leg, and enough dirt stains to last him a lifetime.

Beaky, Tigger's dad, waved his daughter good bye.

"Good bye Tigger! Have fun! And don't interrogate the fellow civilians about their political views!" He waved.

"Buh-bye, Happy-Pappy!" Tigger waved at her "Pappy"

"Bye, Mr. Tigger's Dad!" Arabella.

X

Isabelle prepared for the carnival wearing a bright, tie-dye dress. Her long, wavy brown hair, was wind-blown and messy. Arabella felt like her mother's smile could warm the most evil person's heart.

"So, your parents said it was alright for you to come with us, right, Tigerlily?" she asked.

"Peppy-Yeppy!" Tigger thumbs-upped her.

"Yeppy-Peppy!" Arabella parroted.

Isabelle smiled. "I made you guys some cookies!"

Suddenly, the fire alarm went off. BLORP. Isabelle turned red. "Oh no! Quick, get the fire extinguisher!"

Arabella immediatley grabbed it, where it was conviently located on the kitchen counter from the last time.

Isabelle could be scatterbrained. Really, _really_, scatterbrained. Her hair was often a mess, she never wore any make-up, and she couldn't cook for her life. Period. She definantly could NEVER cook. She could make some mean brownies, but she couldn't make actual food. Seeing that she had burned their _third _oven (so far), they ordered take-out most of the time. It was odd, but Arabella loved the way her family was.

Isabelle jumped up happily. "TO THE CARNIVAL!" She shouted happily. She gathered the girls behind her and started a sort of marching band three-man parade. The girls loved it.

"YAY! WE CAN USE THIS AS AN OUTLET FOR OUR CREATIVE EXPRESSION!" Tigger shouted.

Isabelle stopped. "You are a very strange child."

"Child _prodigy,_" Tigger corrected. Arabella gigged maniacally.

X

"YOUCH! THAT'S OVER-REGULATED TEMPERATURE!" Tigger shouted. Isabelle blinked.

"What?" Arabella asked.

"Just say 'It's Hot'!" Isabelle said.

"IT'S HOT!" Tigger screamed, dropping the piece of funnel cake. Just then, a tall boy with dark hair (this is at age five for Aladd, so let's assume this is before his mother's death, which happened that same year... his mom isn't dead... YET....) strolled by. Tigger turned bright pink. For a five-year-old, he was pretty hot. Isabelle waved at the obviously very young (way to young to have a five year old kid) mother, Saffrona.

"Hi Mrs. Catseye!!" Arabella shouted. Saffrona smiled and walked over. Isabelle embraced her.

"Oh, it's so nice to see you!" Isabelle said happily. Saffrona nodded, brushing some hair out of her eyes. Her son, Aladd, plunked down next to Tigger, who giggled and scooted away a bit. Arabella poked Aladd.

"Hi!! I'm Arabella and this is my friend Tigger! She seems to have a crush on you, so just act completely normal!!" She babbled. Tigger turned red and looked at the ground. Aladd stood up and moved to sit down somewhere else and Arabella gave Tigger a thumbs up. Isabelle smacked her forhead.

"Well, uh, it's been nice seeing you" Saffrona said nervously, grabbing Aladd's hand and walking away quickly. Isabelle glanced over at the man Saffrona had seen, then paled. She grabbed the hands of the girls.

"C'mon. Let's go on the Air Balloon Adventure ride one more time" She said quickly. The girls cheered, unaware that Bud Catseye watched them over the top of a newspaper.

The headline: Chain of Freak Accident Fires all over Atmosia. Suspect At Large.

X

_A/N: _Um, yes, I'm so F***ing screwed. I'm sneaking on the computer. Also, Kudos to Narrator01 for the help. Most of this was written when my arm was... incapacitated.

Anyway, for information on my current position *cough, grounded* Look at my profile. Pretty please..


	3. Daycare of DOOM! XD

Yola!! Tis me, the AWESOME AND POWERFUL SQUEEN!! (not)

Anyway, I thought this chapter would be pretty funny (I had fun writing it... in Math class XD)

* * *

Daycare of Doom

"Bye Mommy!! Bye Daddy!! See you after your date!" Arabella said cheerfully. Isabelle and Andrew waved back, both smiling broadly. Arabella's first day of Daycare wasn't going to end up like their last attempt at hiring a babysitter. The poor girl had been so terrified when Arabella used her mini skimmer Andrew had built for her. Now, _that _was a nightmare.

"C'mon over here sweetie! We're just starting finger painting!" A round woman encouraged. Isabelle turned pale.

"DON'T USE TOO MUCH PAINT!!!" She shouted as she and Andrew drove away. Andrew laughed heartily.

"Izzy, it won't end up like that time at Tigger's house... I hope"

"Andrew, you're not helping the situation right now. They're giving her _paint"_

_"_Just pray she doesn't eat it or throw it on the wall. C'mon, the movie is going to start and if we don't hurry, we'll miss all the commercials" Andrew teased. Isabelle laughed and rolled her eyes.

"Oh, ha ha!"

"What? I just _love _those stock investing commercials!"

The couple laughed the rest of the way to the movie, happy they were going to have some alone time.

* * *

"Tigger, where's Arabella?" A brunette, teenaged helper at the Day care center asked. Tigger looked around shiftily.

"Noooowhere" She lied. The teenager rolled her eyes. She could be at home, sleeping or something right now. Or at the video arcade. Yeah, she could be blowing up heads instead of corraling crazy little tikes.

" What are you holding in your hand?" She asked. Tigger hid the crudely fashioned remote behind her back.

"Nooooothing..." She giggled. The brunette sighed.

"It's not nice to be selfish with toys. Can I _please_ see your pretty toy?" She asked, pouring way to much sugar in her voice. Suddenly a shout came from the top of a hill.

"Okay Tigger!!! PRESS THE RED BUTTON!!!"

Tigger laughed.

"It's actually a green button!!"

"JUST PRESS IT!!!!"

"Okay, okay..."

_beep._

_VROOOOM!!!_

What looked like a Barbie jeep suddenly came flying over the hill. Except, colored in finger paints, was the Storm Hawks symbol. And hot rod flames...

"WAAAAAAAHOOOOOOOOOO!!" Arabella screeched, steering the crazed motorized 'safe' vehicle around in circles. That thing was moving _waaaaaaay _too fast for a Barbie toy...

"BANZAI!!!!" Arabella warned, driving right through a crowd of clichey four year olds. One of them being Celine Fox, resident rich girl and probably Aladd's most persistent stalker, besides Tigger. Celine screeched and dived out of the way... right into doggy.... Oh, I'm just not going to even _explain _that one.

"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAA!!" Arabella laughed, screaming like a crazed pyscho. Just then, Isabelle and Andrew pulled up to the parking lot... right where Arabella's driving skills were being showcased. Isa belle threw Andrew a dirty look.

"Next time, you're praying with me...

* * *

"Bye everyone!!! Sorry about the damages!" Arabellea waved. A weary, brunette teenager waved back.

"Next time you do that, it's going on the Internet!!" She said cheerfully. Wow, she was _so _glad she didn't go to the arcade that day...

* * *

A/N: Hey, insanity has to start SOMEWHERE! LOL, I had tons of fun writing this, although Miss Dedrick did not... Poor math teacher, thought I was having a seizure from laughing so hard, lol. Yes, I know I'm grounded, but that does not stop me from bringing you QUALITY FANFICTION!!! Yesterday, I almost got caught too, lol

Shadow: SQUEEN!! GODDAMMIT!!


	4. The Bird Man and the Bullies

Just an idea that popped into my head ( my very, very, VERY insane head) While reading a (printed, thanks to Missy) copy of Winds of Change (property of the great and powerful ARCHER *trumpets*) and I thought "What if Shadow had seen Arygyn... As Arabella?"

Crowd: Ooooh....

Missy: Hey!! The crowd thing was MY idea!

SQueen: No, you used audience!!

Missy: True dat.

SQueen: Anyway, enjoy the madness! XD (Hannah Montana drowned in well!)

* * *

The Bird Man and the Bullies

"Stop it!! Leave him alone!" Arabelle cried, reaching and jumping to free her teddy bear from the bullies that were tearing it to shreds before her very eyes. A tall, mohawked boy who, although there was not much of an age difference, was three times taller than her laughed, dangling arm just above her reach.

"Aww, You gonna cry to your daddy? He don't scare me!" The boy taunted.

"Uh, Top Dog, it's 'He _doesn't_ scare-"

"Aw, shuddup!" Top Dog barked (Oh look! A PUN!). His lackey jumped back. Arabella kicked him below the belt, (which was in perfect reach) causing him to fall on the ground in pain. She snatched her remains of what was left of Mr Buttons and cuddled him close.

"Don't worry, I won't let them hurt you again" She reassured, although it was more for herself than the teddy bear. Top Dog stood, still slightly bent in agony.

"Little rat! You should be more worried for yourself! HRAAAAA" He roared, winding up a punch, aimed straight for Arabella. She cringed, hoping the blow wouldn't hurt as much as it looked...

_CRAK!_

She stumbled backwards, landing on her back as the bully towered over her. He grinned maliciously, raising his foot to stomp on her back-

_SCREEEEEECH!!_

A large, extremely colorful bird swooped down with it's talon's bared like razor sharp knives. The cronies took off, screaming like little girls as the hawk battered their leader mercilessly. Top Dog managed to swat the bird away long enough to get off his soggy behind and run with his tail between his legs(Don't cha just LOVE my puns!). Arabella looked up to see a tall, rather flamboyantly dressed man offering her his hand.

"Darling, I would advise trying to evade Beavis and Butthead after this" He cautioned with a slight chuckle. Arabella still sat on the ground, staring atr him with unblinking eyes the size of dinner plates.

"You... Turned into a... big bird!" She managed to stuttered, half afraid and half shocked. The man laughed, gently tugging her off the ground.

"It's our little secret, kay? Wouldn't that be fun!" He offered. Arabella nodded slowly, still shocked that he could do that.

"Um, could you teach me how to do that? I'll keep it a secret! Please, so I can take Mr Buttons to Tropica one ady!" She begged, her eyes shining like stars. The man chuckled again.

"Tell ya what: When I see you again, you'll be doing _other _stuff with animals. I promise. And you don't even need me for that" Hpromised. Arabella nodded again, this time eagerly.

"C'mon kid, let's get you home"

"You know where I live!"

"Kid, I know where _everybody_ lives"

* * *

TADAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!! Sorry, I told you it was stupid...

Missy: No it wasn't it was genius-

SQueen: GO AWAY!!! I'm trying to be humble...

Missy: Fine then! (storms off)

SQueen: All jokes aside (and pitiful puns), it was still a good idea... Kind of....

Missy: Don't MAKE me sing the Banana song!

SQueen: ACK!!! Fine, it was brilliant. You happy?!

Missy: Stick a banana in your ear! Just take a ripe banana stick into your favorite ear! It's true, so tue, and all you have to do-

SQueen: MAKE IT STOP!!!!! *Disentegrates*

Missy: Hey, coolio!

Audience: *flees in terror*

Missy: COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT!!!!!!

Civilian: ture dat-

Missy: GAH!!!

I hope you enjoyed that! Sorry, my PC time is kinda slim( It's almost Christmas too*pouty face*) so there's no telling when I'll be on. Alsdo, I'll be doing a Christmas special!!! (YAAAAAAAAAH!!!) I hope to gawd Missy can help me with that (PLEASE?????)

Anyway, Ja ne!(lol, copyright of Archer, You forgot to say it in the last chappie of Winds of Change)

Missy: THERE IT IS AGAIN!!! ARCHER, SUE HER!!!!

12/16/08: OH MAH GAWD!!!! I'm usin' a school Computer!!!! OMA!!!!!!!!! Just google your user name and.... TADAAAAA!!!


	5. Burning Memorydoctors suck

Burning Memory

_Tendrils of smoke rose from the ground. A Little girl, about age five, ran through the tendrils with a look of sheer terror in her eyes. She was losing the race to get out, to find someone she loved…_

"Arabella! Sweetheart, wake up!"

Arabella's eyes snapped open. Her mother had scooped her out of bed and they were running down stairs.

"What…?"

"There's a fire. Someone set fire to our house!" Isabelle panicked. Arabella wrapped her arms around her mother's neck and squeezed her eyes shut. No matter what burned down, nothing would happen to her mother. Her mother was a constant, an unchanging force in the shaky world of being a Sky Knight's family. Nothing could take that away.

"The fire's reached the door!" Her mother's frightened voice reached Arabella's once comforting thoughts. The panic in the once calm and kind sound made her think they might actually get stuck. Arabella could now hear and feel the flames, yet she refused to open her eyes.

"GYA!"

A sudden force knocked her out of her mother's arms. She skidded on the floor for a second and looked up, half afraid and half shocked. Fire was everywhere, devouring there little home. The smell of smoke and another, unidentifiable scent invaded her senses. And her mother lay on the ground, a wooden beam pinning her to the floor.

"MOMMY!"

A hand grabbed her arm.

"C'mon, you need to get out-"

"Mommy! Somebody save my Mommy!"

A boy, probably one year older than her, hoisted her over his shoulder. Kicking and screaming, she watched as the flames began to eat at the tips of her mother's hair. She screamed again, pounding the boys back as he ran through a hole that had burned through the wall.

"Little girl, please calm down-"

"Put me down! I WANT MOMMY!"

An older man approached them with a grave look on his face.

"Where's this girl's parents?" He asked gruffly. Arabella tried desperately to kick him with all her might.

"Her father… just ran inside" The boy answered. A black dart in the distance crashed through a window.

"Andrew… Reckless man" The older man muttered. A crowd of gasping by passers screamed as the glass shattered. Arabella's screams dissolved into tears. What if she lost both of her parents?

X

_Beep. Beep. Beep._

Arabella's stomach would drop every time she heard the feeble sound of her mother's heart hooked up to machines and cables just to keep her breathing. Her father was outside, yelling at a bunch of doctors, shouting and calling them words she had never heard before. What were the doctors saying? Was mommy's condition getting worse?

"B-Bella…?" The hoarse croak frightened Arabella more than it relieved her. This was going to be the voice that replaced the voice that once tinkled like bells.

"You… doing okay?" She choked, trying not to cry. She had to be strong for mommy. Her mother smiled, her dry lips cracking slightly. She was in pain…

"Yes… Sweetie, I need to tell you something…"

Arabella shook her head.

"No, wait till you're better mommy. Than you can tell me-" Isabelle cut her off.

"Arabella, sweetheart, I'm not going to _get_ better. The doctors don't think I'm going to make it…"

Arabella didn't want to listen any more.

"No! Mommy, they're wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong! You _have_ to get better, you _have_ to!" She pleaded, her voice breaking. They were _doctors_! They were supposed to _save_ her, not sentence her to death!

"Sweet heart… Please, calm down. I'll be okay. I'm not afraid to die-"

"Because you aren't _going_ to die! Don't give up, please!"

Tears began to stream down her face, unable to keep them back. She clutched onto her mother's hand, as if it would somehow keep her there.

"Shhh…"

A bandaged, burnt up hand reached up to Arabella's face, trying to wipe away the tears. Too weak to move anymore, Isabelle just let her hand catch the tears. She attempted to smile, to look brave for her daughter.

"Please, be strong for Daddy. Be strong for me" She asked. Arabella nodded slowly.

"Okay…"

Isabelle smiled again, turning her head to look at the ceiling. Arabella wasn't sure what she was looking at and, for a second, hoped that maybe she was reconsidering her decision to die. If she could even do that. A strange, irregular sound interrupted her thoughts.

_Be-be-beep, beep, be-be-beep, be-be-be-be-be-beep!_

The red line on the machine began to fluctuate madly, as if it was malfunctioning. As the person hooked up to it was malfunctioning…

"Mommy? Mommy! Mommy!"

Andrew turned from his yelling fit to see his daughter shaking his motionless wife._ Oh, god no…_

"Mommy! Mommy, wake up! WAKE UP!!"

A doctor shoved her out of the way, shouting orders to the other doctors. They began pushing onto her mother's chest, yelling things like "She's got no pulse!" and "She's not going to make it!", while Arabella watched hopelessly.

"No…"

Nobody listened. The doctors had grim looks on their faces._ This was _their_ fault. Their entire fault…_

"No!"

Nobody turned to see a little girl dart out the door, struggling to keep from crying. Nobody cared enough to call out her name, to stop her from running away, not even her father…

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Damn, I know how to turn a happy story emo really fast, don't I?

Shadow: SQueen, I hate you...


	6. Running Away

Okay, now that we have a dead mom and a running child on our hands, Let's continue!!!

* * *

Running Away

Arabella didn't stop running as she burst through the door. She didn't stop when a man shouted at her when she bumped into his leg. And she definantly didn't stop when the boy who dragged her out of her burning house called her name. In all honesty, she was running away from everything. She couldn't hear anyone speak, anyone make a noise, any doctor announcing with no emotion her mother was dead.

This was _their _fault! And they could go to hell for it! Mommy would drag them down to hell, along with every Cyclonian and the man who set fire to their home. Or Arabella would drag them down to hell herself. She would make them burn in their own medicine, she would-

"GYA!"

A root snagged onto her foot, sending her crashing into the mud. The mud splashed onto her face, hair and clothes.

"Why?" Arabella whispered softly to the ground. Nobody responded. Arabella's small hands curled into fists.

"WHY?! Why, why WHY?!" She screamed, pounding them into the ground as angry tears poured down her face. Her small body shivered as the cold mud touched her skin and the sobs forced themselves out.

Why? Because someone made it so. It was not the doctor's entire fauly. If the life support sytem hadn't mysteriously died, her mother would have fine. Hell wound't have broken loose. If only, only if a sadistic man hadn't reached the electrical system. If only someone hadn't mysteriously slipped him the password. If only someone hadn't told him to shut off the power in Isabelle's room. If only someone had stopped him. If only Catseye had been stopped.

Why? Because the war needed to end. Because Cyclonia wanted to win bad enough to accidently put in place the trigger for a longer war. Because people are flawed and greedy. That is why.

"Why?"

None of the doctors responded. One had dragged a cloth over Isabelle's horribly burned face.

"ANSWER ME!" Andrew demanded, slamming his fist on the table.

"Why won't anyone answer me!" Arabella cried, screaming at whoever was watching. Who ever was laughing at her from the heavens. Slowly, she dragged herself out of the mud, shaking with cold and exhaustion. Looking around, her numb mind told her she was lost. Barely acknowledging that, Arabella pushed forward. Her feet moved without being told. She didn't think, she just did.

She only stopped until she reached the mouth of a cave. She had never seen this cave before, but she really didn't care. She was muddy, wet and cold. And to make matters worse, it started to rain. So, ignoring every warning she had ever been told, she stumbled right in. She didn't see the large, colorful bird sitting in one of the trees behind her.

_Sniff. Hic._

Attempting to get herself under control, Arabella curled up on the cold stone floor of the cave. A few minutes passed and she barely calmed down at all.

_"Are you alone?"_

Arabella didn't move. She was hearing things, they would all go away soon.

_"Why are you so sad?"_

Arabella sniffled slightly.

"My mother is gone"

_"Won't she come back?"_ The voice asked. Arabella shook her head.

"No. She's gone forever"

_"Oh... I lost my mother too, once. Except she didn't want me anymore"_

Arabella hiccuped and looked up. A pair of green eyes, like a bird, peered at her.

"Th-thats t-t-terrible" She whispered. The voice chuckled in her head.

_"Did your mother love you?"_

Arabella nodded.

_"I could be your mother. I'm about to be one anyway"_ The voice cooed. Arabella's eyes widened.

"Really? Would you do that for me?" She asked. In the dark, Arabella could still tell the thing with big eyes was nodding.

_"Yes. My baby and you could be best friends. But you can't tell anyone"_

"Why?"

The pair of eyes leaned forward and dim light from outside revealed who they belonged to: A large bird head, attached to a lion's body. A pair of black wings were folded neatly onto her back.

_"Some people don't like me. They might try to hurt me"_

Arabella wiped her eyes with her sleeve and tried to smile.

"Don't worry. I won't tell anyone. You'll be a secret"

* * *

Just for the record, the big griffin is Griffey's mother. WOOOOOOOOOOT! I've always wanted to write this chapter!

Shadow: you sick, twisted, sadistci little authoress.

SQueen: Thank you!


	7. Curse of the Catseye MEOW!

Curse of the Catseye

"Daddy?"

Andrew stiffened. The tug on the end of his slightly singed coat was a target. Whom a demon deep within wanted to shred into pieces. The curse's idea of the enemy. It was also his only daughter.

"Yes?" He asked through gritted teeth. Arabella gently slid her hand into his own, thinking he was trying not to cry. A fragile hand that would shatter like glass if he crushed it, weak like a twig. A delicate, breakable hand.

"It's okay if you feel sad. I'm sad too. But it wasn't your fault. Mommy wouldn't mind if you cried at her funeral" Arabella reassured, her voice sincere and gentle. A voice that wouldn't be able to scream if he strangled he to death. An odd, drum like rhythym punded from her fingers and through his skull. His hands twitched.

"The men in white coats did this to mommy. But you'll get them one day, I just know it" Arabella whispered.

_ Now, you fool! NOW!_

"Arabella-" Andrew choked off in the middle of his sentence. Arabella had wrapped her arms around his leg, in attempt to comfort her distraught father. It had the complete opposite effect, however. Her chest was pressed up against him, her heart beating like a steady drum. A hypnotic pounding that echoed in his skulls as if broadcasted over concert sized speakers. The terrible, unstoppable to stop the beating, to run his sword through it and end it completely was almost overwhelming.

"I love you daddy"

_ She's RIGHT THERE! Get it over with, you cowardly dog!_

The beating of his daughter's heart was almost unbearable. It became louder and louder and louder. Every inch of his being was in war with itself, fighting so hard to decide: To kill or not to kill.

"I-"

Arabella felt her father yank his leg out of her grasp harshly. With a soft thud, she fell on her knees in the dirt, watching her father stalk away from the cemetery stiffly. Nobody noticed his eyes flickering between human eyes and the eyes of something else. Eye's like those of a demonic predator cat.

--------

Like a drunken madman, Andrew struggled to keep from completely losing control. So many drums, so many heartbeats, so many innocent people walked around him, not noticing or caring about the dazed and confused man fighting with himself. Why was this happening?!

"What's the day?!" he demanded hoarsely, grabbing onto the shoulders of a student walking home. Stunned, her books fell from her hands and into the mud.

"T-tuesday" She squeaked, her eye's wide. Her heartbeat sped up, nearly overwhelming the Sky Knight.

"No! No, you dolt! The date! The date and the year!" He hissed.

"U-um, March 15, Nine hundred and ninety five P.A.D" The student stuttered.

Andrew clenched his teeth harder. This shouldn't be happening! He had a whole year left! A whole year until it was his turn!

_He killed himself Andrew. Now it's your turn_

The Sky knight froze. It took him a whole minute to realize he was still clutching onto the poor student until she kicked him in the shins and scurried away, without a second thought about her fallen school books. For what seemed like hours, Andrew stood in the street until the Voice spoke again.

_Go Andrew. Go now. It's your turn and you better get used to it. There's no point in fighting it when you know I'll win in the end._

The Sky Knight stumbled into woods, his mind racing. He had to get away from the beating or the curse would take over completely.

"I'm not scared of you!" He managed to mumble. Demonic laughter rang in his head.

_Not scared? I've made grown men **cry** for their mother's, **Miscreant**! Now, be a good boy and accept your fate._ The Voice commanded. Andrew shook his head hazily.

"One... One more year. I still want... One more year... with my family" he croaked. The laughter became almost painful.

_**Family?!** Your mind is so deluded. You have no family!_

"I still... have a..family!" Andrew growled, but his voice was weak.

_In case you've forgotten, your whack job of a wife is dead. Her body's taking a dirt nap where you left that rat you call a daughter. What kind of father leaves a child at FUNERAL, for Atmos's sake!_

"Please... Give me the year... I was supposed to have..." He begged. The voice was silent, as if it was considering the idea.

_Fine. One year, **dog**, before I get to rip your daughter's heart out. One year before I ruin your life!_

_---------_

A/N: Wow, I'm twisted...

I'm sorry I haven't updated anything! Sorry, sorry sorry! It's just I get re-obsessed with Invader Zim and I wouldn't stop until my desire for that Gir jacket was quenched. I still haven't gotten the jacket though *sob, sob*

Bute, ANYWAY, I'm sure you all want to KILL me now... My Muse isn't working with me either...

This chapter I HAD to write because Archer asked me for info on the Catseye curse and My muse practically knocked me unconscious with the 'Inspiration Mallet' and gave me and Idea Concussion. Also, I used Archer's PAD thing because I'm not smart enough to invent my own PLUS it's convinient if we all use the same way of telling time. It's less confusing to keep track of.

Also, I know i'm going to sound like a commercial, BUT READ WINDS OF CHANGE!! There's a SUPER EPIC BATTLE coming up and Archer is my Home boy-

Shadow: Oh lord, don't pretend to be gangster. Please!

SQueen: Oops, my bad... That's beside the point. Oh, and if any of you INCREDIBLY AMAZING people want to help me or try and give me inspiration in any way, shape, or form, it would be appreciated.

TO THE LAB! *batman music*

ShadowQueen25

(PS: Archer, you forgot Ja Ne. LOL!)


	8. Ghosts

* * *

Ghosts

Got this stupid idea and my muse compels me. More like she knocked me unconscious with her 'Inspiration Mallet'...

Ah, whatever. Just read the damn thing!

Shadow: Somebody didn't take their meds today- *dodges thrown 'Inspiration Mallet'*

* * *

"Now, if you ever need anything, we'd be happy to help. If you need food or somewhere to stay or clothes, you know where to go" Rose Mongolia smiled. Despite the sad smile not reaching her eyes, Arabella smiled back.

"I'm okay. I'm staying with another friend tonight" She said, her voice soft and almost airy like. Unnerved, Mrs Mongolia nodded.

"Uh... okay... do you need a ride-" The woman was interrupted.

"NO! No, its okay, I'll walk..." Arabella muttered, and began to scurry away from the older woman. Mrs Mongolia pursed her lip and knitted her eyebrows together, like she did when she was crossed with a peculiar problem. Her husband, Beaky, placed an arm around her in comfort.

"She'll be fine. She's just... mourning" He assured. Rose nodded as she watched the little girl race away.

"I'm just worried about her. Andrew's been acting strange and completely ignores her. Just the other day, he practically left her in the dirt-"

"You know how much he loved Isabelle. This is hard for all of them, just hardest for him, especially since she was the only woman who really accepted him for who he was-" Beaky stopped when he noted the furious look his wife was sending him.

"I wasn't _that _cruel to him!"

"Why else do you think he changed his last name from Catseye?"

-----

Hopping on the stones by the road one by one, Arabella made her way to the woods to her new 'friend'. Her hair had begun to fall out of her neat plaited pigtails, since she had no actual knowledge of how to braid it herself. Her mother had always done it for her. She was wearing a large flannel shirt with a cord tied around her waist since all of her play clothes and dresses had all been too burnt to even identify. Her make shift 'dress' was one belonging to a Wallop doctor who had taken pity on the homeless, motherless, unfortunate child. She hadn't taken it off since her mother's funeral.

"Ring around the rosy, a pocketful of posy-"

The child continued to sing and skip, unaware of how flat her voice had become or the fact she was only singing and skipping out of habit rather than the actual _want _to sing. Her mother would always sing with her, joyfully, holding her daughter's hand as the young girl hopped on the flat stones of the road. But never had the done this in the _middle _of the road...

"Ashes, ashes we all fall down..."

The young girl trailed off as a pair of lights appeared out of nowhere. Two little circles that grew brighter and brighter as they got closer. A noise, like that of an engine, grew from a buzz to a steady thrum as the lights got bigger, brighter and closer.

"LOOK OUT!"

The teenage girl driving the skimmer slammed the brakes, which squealed and threw her into the air. Arabella cringed as the skidding vehicle was about to slam into her. For a minute, all the sound was gone. Then a sensation like running through smoke hit her, blowing her dysfunctional hair into the wind.

"What-?"

The skimmer was gone. The teenage girl with long, black hair was gone. The strange creature that was sitting on her shoulder was gone. It was like she was a ghost...

_A ghost that looked exactly like her..._

Running the rest of the way, Arabella pushed the frightening thought away as she ran through the Shadows to her friend's 'house'...

* * *

A/N: Spooky, huh?


	9. Cold Thoughts

Cold Thoughts.

While Missy's sleeping over at my house and... sleeping on my couch, I figured 'What the hell, I'll write something', so... Here goes nothin'!

Also, I'm accepting OCs for this series (I will always accept them, whether I know you or not), so hurry and send me those requests!!

Missy: *snore*

* * *

A few days bled into a week, than to two weeks. It turned cold and rainy during the third week, than frigid after a month. Frigid, blinding, biting cold. Parents began wrapping their children in coats, mittens, and scarves in attempt to keep their fingers from freezing off and prevent all the asty sorts of colds and flu's circulating through the autumn air. Despite the gloomy weather, children skipped and laughed, hugging their parents when they came home from school and animatedly relating their adventures with their friends to their families. Some even began to beg their fathers for Christmas presents.

Arabella didn't go home that often anymore. She would sit for hours after school was out, swinging on the playground set all alone. Abandoning help and her friends, she would cling to the chains of the swing until she had all but froze to death. Her panicked father would always run from house to house, begging the residents to help him find his daughter. Yet, they would always find her, pale and cold, swinging back and forth.

Today was different. The whole month she had spent on the swings was to give her father a false comfort that he knew where she was. Like her new 'friend' had instructed her.

For a child, Arabella was very good at finding shortcuts to places, especially today. From her perch on the swings, she could see straight into the woods. While any passerby would simply say "Wow, look at all those trees" and just keep walking. Arabella could now see how to turn and twist her way through them, losing any pursuers and sucessfully reaching her destination. A route from her house to the woods had been planned and a route from the playground through the woods was sucessfully planned and tested.

"Big, ugly, scary tree with grandma face...." She muttered as she passed the incredibly hideous... thing.

"Short, fat tree that looks like Tigger's Aunt Jemima..."

"Aaaaaaaand the skinny tree that looks like old hag Ms McDobbs"

If you followed the little girl's footsteps through the thick, Atmosian forest, you would find what she was looking for: A cave, hidden well among the trees. Her friend's 'home'.

"I'm back!" Arabella called into the mouth of the cave, peering into the darkness cautiously. A sigh echoed against the rock walls.

_Child, do you have _any _idea what time it is?_ A voice complained in her head, although the complaints were in jest. Aarbella laughed dryly and shuffled into the dark fearlessly.

"I don't know how to read clocks, the teacher sent me out of the room for causing a disruption during that lesson" She explained. The voice chuckled in her skull.

_You humans are so odd..._

Tiredly, Arabella rested her head on the voice's source. It had been so long since she had been inside a home with suitable heating.

"Can I sleep here tonight? I won't keep you awake, I just wanna stay here" She mumbled. A green eye leaned out of the shadow's of the cave and peered at her suspisciously.

_Won't your father become worried? I'm sure he's probably running all over the world searching for you..._

"Nah, he doesn't care about much anymore since mommy... since those bad doctors took my mommy" Arabella yawned, tangling her finger's in the voice's thick mane. The creature nuzzled her cheek lovingly.

_No, he really loves you. He's always thinking of you._

"How do you know?"

The creature paused for a second before answering.

_Because I can hear him._

Arabella cracked open one eye and gave her a 'you're messing with me' face.

_I can hear everyone on this terra. I can watch people dream, mess around with the old goats in the big building, and listen to them think._ The voice explained. Arabella's eyes lit up.

"Like a telybath?" She asked.

_Telepath. And yes, I am sort of like a telepath._

"What's daddy thinking right now?"

A minute or two passed before the creature responded.

_He's fighting someone. Someone bad._

"A doctor?"

_No. Much, much worse than that..._

* * *

"..... Futile. Your daughter is starving and you have less than a year..."

Arabella's eyes fluttered at the voice's harsh tone. Whining, she pulled blanket over her head.

Wait a second: Blanket?

"Mommy?!" She panicked, jerking upright in bed. Lying in a mass of sheets in a dirty, dingy room, Arabella looked around in a panic stricken frenzy. A door to her left opened and her father stuck her head inside the room.

"Sweetheart, go back to bed. Please" He begged. Arabella shook her head.

"Where are we? What's going on? Where's mommy?!" She demanded fearfully. Andrew's eyes saddened.

"Mommy isn't here. This nice man found you and offered us a place to stay for a while" He tried to explain, opening the door a bit more to reveal an old, wrinkled grandpa-looking man. He didn't have the soft features grandparents did though. He looked too much like a a hawk or a vulture to be someone's grandfather. His eyes were harsh and greedy, glaring at her like she was a possesion that he wanted.

"No, no, no! I don't wanna stay here! Where's mommy!!" Arabella cried, clutching her thin blanket to her chest. The vulture-man smiled crookedly, revealing equally crooked teeth.

"Go back to sleep child. The adults need to speak in private" He whispered soothingly, his voice soft in contrast to his features. It's sound alone made Arabella's eyes grow heavy.

"Sleep child. All will be better soon, just close your eyes and sleep..."

The little girl slumped and collapsed on her pillow, dead asleep. Andrew whirled around to face the man.

"What did you do to her?!" He demanded sharply. The older man just simply waived him off.

"Relax, boy, she only to my reasoning" He sighed, turning to leave.

"I understand the curse gave you one year. I will be back then and you and your little girl will both belong to me..." Pausing to smirk at the co-pilot's indignant expression, he added, "Until then, Happy holidays..."

And with that, he disappeared.

* * *

With our sleep over gone down the tubes and Missy passed out on the couch, here's an update for ya!!!

Yeeeaaaaaah, Missy is sleeping over at my house and fter three DVDs of Invader Zim, she feel asleep on me. Ah well, just means I can pester ya'll!

Never mind, I'm goin' to bed...

Peace Out


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